COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SNAPSHOTS FROM THE ANCIENT INDO-PACIFIC: REMARKABLE EOCENE FISH FAUNAS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ORIGIN OF A MODERN MARINE BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT

合作研究：古印度太平洋快照：引人注目的始新世鱼类区系及其对现代海洋生物多样性热点起源的影响

• 批准号: 2016120
• 负责人: Eric Hilton
• 金额: $ 23.1万
• 依托单位: College of William & Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Science
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2016120&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: COLLABORATIVE; RESEARCH; SNAPSHOTS; ANCIENT; INDO

Some regions of the world are home to a greater variety of species than others. How these so-called biodiversity hotspots arise and change over time is an important question, especially as these areas are under pressure from human activities. The major marine hotspot lies in the Indo-West Pacific region, and is home to the greatest diversity of fishes anywhere on the planet. The sparse fossil record of fishes in the region, however, has been an obstacle to understanding the origin of this remarkably diverse modern fauna. This project will focus on three distinct assemblages of marine fish fossils from Pakistan that begin to fill this gap. Between 48 and 43 million years old, these fossils date to a time when Indo-Pakistan was a large island in what would become the Indian Ocean. They provide ‘snapshots’ of fish life in the Old World Tropics and provide important clues into how the modern biodiversity hotspot came to be. This study will provide training for undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD students at two public universities. Results will be published in scientific articles and presented at professional meetings. Outcomes from the project will be shared with the public through a combination of visible preparation labs, events held at museums and other public venues, and an interactive display featuring fossil specimens, touchable casts, and life reconstructions of fossil fishes.The fossils examined are from two marine Eocene formations in Pakistan, representing three distinct environments. Specimens will be prepared using chemical approaches, mechanical techniques, micro-CT scanning, or radiography, depending on their mode of preservation. Taxonomic identifications will be made through comparison with skeletal preparations of modern and fossil specimens. We will quantify the similarity of the Eocene assemblages from Pakistan to modern and ancient marine fish faunas to test hypotheses of a shifting marine biodiversity hotspot proposed on the basis of other taxonomic groups. A select number of specimens will be subject to detailed anatomical and phylogenetic analysis incorporating morphological, molecular, and stratigraphic data. Resulting phylogenies will be used to test hypotheses about the timing of trophic and ecological innovation apparent among some early Paleogene teleostean fishes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

世界上的一些地区比其他地区拥有更多种类的物种，这些所谓的生物多样性热点如何随着时间的推移而出现和变化是一个重要的问题，特别是当这些地区受到人类活动的压力时。印度-西太平洋地区是地球上鱼类多样性最丰富的地区，然而，该地区鱼类化石记录稀少，一直是了解这种极其多样化的现代动物群起源的障碍。将重点关注三个不同的来自巴基斯坦的海洋鱼类化石组合开始填补这一空白，这些化石可以追溯到印度-巴基斯坦还是印度洋上的一个大岛屿的时期。该研究将为两所公立大学的本科生、硕士生和博士生提供培训。该项目的成果将通过可见的准备实验室、在博物馆和其他公共场所举办的活动以及以化石标本、可触摸模型和生命重建为特色的互动展示与公众分享。鱼类化石。所检查的化石来自巴基斯坦的两个始新世海洋地层，代表三种不同的环境。根据其分类学鉴定的方式，将使用化学方法、机械技术、显微 CT 扫描或射线照相来制备标本。我们将量化巴基斯坦始新世组合与现代和古代海洋鱼类动物群的相似性，以检验基于其他分类群 A 提出的海洋生物多样性热点转移的假设。选定数量的标本将接受详细的解剖学和系统发育分析，结合形态学、分子和地层学数据，所得系统发育将用于测试有关时间的假设。一些早期古近纪硬骨鱼类中明显存在营养和生态创新。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。